Rookie ratings: Which debutants starred for your club in Round 1?
From familiar faces to top-10 draftees, Round 1 provided a glimpse of the future for 16 AFL clubs. How did your team’s new faces fare? Tim Michell and Dan Batten rate every club’s recruits.
AFL News
Don't miss out on the headlines from AFL News. Followed categories will be added to My News.
From Tyler Brown’s polished debut for Collingwood to Jack Martin’s eye-catching first outing in navy blue, Round 1 provided AFL fans reason for optimism as their club’s new faces gave a glimpse of the future.
There was bargain recruit Jacob Townsend bagging three goals in a half for Essendon, Sam Sturt soaring at Marvel Stadium for Fremantle and key forward Mitch Georgiades confirming why Port Adelaide rated him so highly in last year’s AFL National Draft.
How many of the Round 1 debutants will feature again when footy returns?
Dan Batten and Tim Michell analyse each of your club’s new faces and how they performed in Round 1.
Relive classic AFL matches from the 60s to today on KAYO SPORTS. New to Kayo? Get your 14-day free trial & start streaming instantly >
Carlton
Jack Martin: Could hardly have done more to endear himself to the Carlton faithful in his first match in navy blue. Martin had 17 disposals and kicked 4.1 against the Tigers in a debut which might even attract Brownlow Medal votes.
Will he play Round 2? Without doubt.
Jack Newnes: The former Saint had 12 possessions and a goal in his first game for the Blues. He didn’t have a huge impact but will get better with more games alongside his new teammates.
Will he play Round 2? Yep. The Blues appear to like Newnes as a link man on the wing.
Western Bulldogs
Alex Keath: Tough going for the Western Bulldogs on a night dominated by Collingwood’s midfield, but Keath showed promise with 15 disposals and nine marks. He’ll be a linchpin down back for the Dogs this season.
Will he play Round 2? Luke Beveridge has months to ponder changes after a poor Round 1 showing but Keath won’t be one.
Josh Bruce: Noted for his contested marking at St Kilda, Bruce only recorded one grab on a night Beveridge said was tragic for the Bulldogs’ forward line. He kicked one goal but it was a forgettable night for the Dogs.
Will he play Round 2? Yes and hopefully will get better delivery in his second game in red, white and blue.
Ben Cavarra: A great story of persistence after battling away in the VFL, Cavarra’s long-awaited AFL debut was a quiet one. With three possessions and a goal, he might be up against it to hold his spot when footy returns.
Will he play Round 2? He’s got premiership player Toby McLean hot on his heels. If Round 2 was being played this week, you think Cavarra would be squeezed out.
Collingwood
Tyler Brown: Nathan Buckley was bullish about the younger son of Pies great Gavin, with good reason. The highlight of his debut was when he combined with his brother Callum for a goal and Brown didn’t look out of place when thrown into the centre square mix. Collingwood has great depth, but he’s an exciting prospect.
Will he play Round 2? He’d be stiff not to. Hard to see someone going past him during the shutdown period.
The worst part about the season potentially being cancelled is that Jacob Townsend has to share the Brownlow with 8 other players. #AFL #australialockdown pic.twitter.com/PIBFpcO8Vt
— Top Four Next Year (@TopFourNextYear) March 22, 2020
Essendon
Jacob Townsend: One of footy’s great survivors capitalised on his first opportunity in red and black. Townsend was close to the No. 1 forward target for the Bombers against Fremantle and he logged three goals from nine disposals against the Dockers. He came to Essendon expecting to be thrown into the middle but John Worsfold and Ben Rutten made the right call.
Will he play Round 2? Even if Essendon fans get their wish and Joe Daniher is back, Townsend will be in the attacking 50 alongside him.
Tom Cutler: The former Lion might prove to be a real bargain for Essendon. Cutler had 17 disposals and provided some nice drive to help the Bombers start their season on a winning note.
Will he played Round 2? Someone will be squeezed out if Dyson Heppell is fit, but Cutler is a different player to the Bombers’ skipper.
Fremantle
Sam Sturt: A debut worth waiting for. Sturt almost certainly would have played his first match for the Dockers in 2019 had he not been sidelined by concussion issues. The 19-year-old forward showcased his talent in the air and on the ground, almost willing Fremantle to victory. If he keeps playing like that he’ll be a rising star contender.
Will he played Round 2? Justin Longmuir likely can’t wait to unleash him again.
James Aish: Was never a huge ball winner at Collingwood or Brisbane Lions and had 12 disposals in his debut for the Dockers. He didn’t have a huge influence.
Will he played Round 2? Longmuir was a fan during their time together at the Magpies and Aish should be in Fremantle’s best 22.
Is that a symptom? Test him. #AFLCrowsSwans #weflyasone pic.twitter.com/rE34RI1oOe
— Ryan Fitzgerald (@FitzySA) March 21, 2020
Sydney
Lewis Taylor: Only nine possessions and one behind for Taylor in the Swans’ victory against Adelaide. His role likely means he won’t be a big possession-winner but as long as he has an attacking influence he’ll get a chance to stamp himself as a senior regular.
Will he played Round 2? He was on the fringes during his last few years at Brisbane but John Longmire appears likely to give him a chance to establish himself.
Sam Gray: An encouraging start to Gray’s Sydney career as the former Power small forward returned to Adelaide Oval. He should have had two goals, butchering a set shot in the opening quarter.
Will he play Round 2? Lock him in.
Kaiden Brand: Ex-Hawk arrived in the Harbour City without much fanfare but he provides added flexibility to the Sydney back line. Adelaide’s tall trio of Taylor Walker, Tom Lynch and Darcy Fogarty combined for five goals but the Swans’ backline held up well.
Will he play Round 2? Might be dependent on match-ups. A player such as Robbie Fox could come in if Longmire wants more dash from defence, although Jordan Dawson and Jake Lloyd provide plenty of that.
Adelaide
Fischer McAsey: The top-10 draftee isn’t going to rack up huge numbers, especially in year one. He had five disposals and one mark against the Swans.
Will he play Round 2? Get the feeling Matthew Nicks will be keen to give McAsey as much senior exposure as possible, but he might still be in and out, especially with short turnarounds mooted.
Billy Frampton: Frampton made a bright start after crossing from Port Adelaide to the Crows but wasn’t able to exert himself on the contest against Sydney after quarter-time. He finished with 11 hit outs and nine possessions acting as Reilly O’Brien’s back-up.
Will he play Round 2? He’s going to be in a selection tug of war with Elliott Himmelberg throughout 2020 for the back-up ruck role. Round 2 will come down to who impresses Nicks more during the shutdown period.
Gold Coast
Noah Anderson: Worked his way into the contest and had 12 disposals on debut. Known as more of an outside player, you sense he’ll take a few games to show the talent which made him a top-two draftee.
Will he play Round 2? Gold Coast needs to get games into him, Matthew Rowell and Connor Budarick. They might miss the odd game due to short turnarounds but should play Round 2.
Matthew Rowell: A promising start from the No. 1 draft pick, who had 19 possessions and laid four tackles. He didn’t fade out of the game either, doing his best work after halftime in a side which was soundly beaten.
Will he play Round 2? He’ll be one of the first picked most weeks.
Connor Budarick: The Gold Coast academy player was named in a back-pocket and found the footy eight times. Like Anderson, he’ll get better with more exposure and as he pushes up the ground into more prominent positions.
Will he play Round 2? He’s the most likely of the three young debutants to miss but should be fine.
Hugh Greenwood: The tough ex-Crow was brought to Queensland to add a harder edge to the Gold Coast midfield and performed that role well on debut. He had 18 possessions and laid three tackles.
Will he play Round 2? He’ll feature every week barring injury.
Brandon Ellis: There wasn’t much to like about Gold Coast's Round 1 display but Ellis fitted in well. He’s going to be a key figure for the Suns bringing premiership experience from Punt Road.
Will he play Round 2? They didn’t recruit him to watch from the sidelines, or ordinarily, play reserves.
Port Adelaide
Mitch Georgiades: Georgiades has been the talk of the town at Alberton over the pre-season and his performances pleased Power fans and KFC SuperCoach owners alike. Georgiades kicked two first half goals in his debut and got his hands on the footy, finishing with 11 touches.
Will he play Round 2? There was no Charlie Dixon, but the youngster played alongside him in the pre-season. Ken Hinkley has shown in previous seasons he will continue to play the kids if they perform, so expect Georgiades to remain.
GWS
Tom Green: There was plenty of build-up for Tom Green’s debut following an impressive Marsh Series campaign. We saw Green’s fantastic work in the clinches in flashes, but the youngster managed just six disposals against the Cats. But don’t worry, we will see some eye-catching performances from the big-bodied midfielder in 2020.
Will he play Round 2? May need some strong performances in the NEAFL to cement his spot, but Tim Taranto will still be on the sidelines which helps his cause.
Sam Jacobs: While it wasn’t against one of the competitions best by any stretch of the imagination, GWS would be thrilled with Sam Jacobs’ first game as a Giant. The ageing ruckman, who was usurped by understudy Reilly O’Brien at one stage last season, gave his star midfield group silver service and had an impact around the ground. To go with his 28 hit-outs, Jacobs gathered 10 touches, five clearances and finished with a game-high 134 SuperCoach points.
Will he play Round 2? Definitely, but the 31-year-old has a much tougher assignment in his next game – whenever that might be – Demon Max Gawn.
North Melbourne
Josh Walker: It was a disappointing outcome for Josh Walker in his first game for his new club, ruled out with concussion in the first quarter after a sickening incident. Walker characteristically leapt across marking contest and landed awkwardly on his back and neck, somehow walking away from the incident with no significant damage.
Will he play Round 2? The Roo should have a permanent place in their back-six with no Scott Thompson no longer there.
St Kilda
Max King: All you want to see from an undersized, young key forward is for them to create contests, and King did this in spades both in the air and at ground level. This competitive edge earnt him two free kicks close to goal, slotting both over the goal umpires hate,
Will he play Round 2? Yes, coach Brett Ratten has said they will invest heavily in the talented youngster this season.
Dan Butler: While he struggled to impact the scoreboard, Butler brought Richmond’s immense forward pressure with him in his first game as a Saint. Butler laid eight tackles – the second most on the ground – and won nine possessions.
Will he play Round 2? Yes, expect Butler to have much greater job security at his new club than at the Tigers
Dougal Howard: Had the big job on prime goalkicker Ben Brown and kept him to just one goal and nine touches. Howard defensive work was impressive, finishing with eight spoils and four of his five possessions were intercepts.
Will he play Round 2? Yes, will be important for the Saints in defence.
Paddy Ryder: Ryder made an impact both in the ruck and up forward in his Saints debut, winning 13 hit-outs, 12 disposals and booting a goal. Was a strong support act for Rowan Marshall and will allow Max King to develop in the forward 50.
Will he play Round 2? Injury will be the only thing that keeps him out.
Brad Hill: Following a stellar pre-season it was a quiet Round 1 display from the former Hawk and Docker. Hill was kept to just 12 disposals but managed 298 metres gained and five inside 50s.
Will he play Round 2? Locked in, adds so much polish to St Kilda’s midfield group.
Zak Jones: Jones was arguably the best of St Kilda’s many faces, spending most of his time around stoppages. Jones finished with a team-high seven clearances, 22 disposals, 12 contested possessions and five tackles but unfortunately couldn’t make it count in front of goal – booting three behinds.
Will he play Round 2? Yes, Saints fans would be very happy with his efforts first up.
Hawthorn
Jon Patton: Patton had one of the best defenders in the business – Lions spoiling machine Harris Andrews – guarding him which limited his influence. The former Giant finished with nine touches, four marks and slotted a third quarter goal when the game was in the balance.
Will he play Round 2? Week-to-week has never been a certainty with Patton over his career, but as long as he’s fit, yes.
Sam Frost: Frost was underappreciated at Melbourne, which showed in their contract negotiations, and he looked to help sure up Hawthorn’s defence. Eight of Frost’s 11 possessions were intercepts, proving his worth against a tall Lions defence.
Will he play Round 2? Yep, Frost’s mobility and speed allows him to matchup on a variety of opponents.
Brisbane Lions
Deven Robertson: Robertson was whisked into Brisbane’s side after new Lion Grant Birchall pulled out with injury. The 18-year-old didn’t look out of place when he moved into the midfield, showing composure in congestion and gathering seven disposals from limited game time.
Will he play Round 2? Managed to make it into their Round 1 team with a virtually empty injury list, but will most likely be squeezed out. Lions fans have a lot to look forward to in the coming years with this young midfielder.
West Coast
Tim Kelly: Kelly brought his thirst for the contest and impact in his first game as an Eagle but was overshadowed by his midfield counterparts. The former Cat finished with 19 touches and kicked a goal but his presence in their on-ball brigade allowed Luke Shuey (27 disposals, eight marks) to get off the chain.
Will he play Round 2? A certainty.
Melbourne
Kysaiah Pickett: Pickett brought exactly what the Demons wanted, applying forward pressure and hitting the scoreboard. While he missed an early chance on goal, his opportunistic first goal in AFL footy was a cracker, crumbing the marking contest in a flash and quickly snapping on his non-preferred left foot from 30m out. Pickett booted two goals and 11 touches in an impressive debut.
Will he play Round 2? Hard to drop him after that display. Provides a spark which the Demons lack in the forward 50.
Toby Bedford: Didn’t have as good a day as Pickett, but helped set up his second goal with a fantastic smother. Bedford had eight disposals, two tackles and a goal assist, spending just 59 per cent time on ground.
Will he play Round 2? Odds are against him.
Ed Langdon: Langdon is familiar with the open spaces of Optus Stadium and the former Docker thrived, amassing a formidable possession tally. The wingman provided plenty of midfield drive on the outside, winning 31 disposals (23 of those were kicks), driving the ball inside 50 eight times and finishing with 798 metres gained. Remarkably, 28 of his 31 possessions were uncontested, showing his enormous work rate.
Will he play Round 2? Yep, will give the Demons an important source of run throughout 2020 and beyond.
Adam Tomlinson: Melbourne’s other wing recruit was solid first up, claiming 14 possessions and six marks. Like Landon, Tomlinson’s aerobic capacity was on show working his way up and down the ground.
Will he play Round 2? Expect him to be there.
Mitch Brown: The dumped Don worked his way into Melbourne’s best 22 on the back of a strong pre-season but struggled to have an impact against West Coast’s rock solid defensive line-up. Brown failed to hit the scoreboard, finishing with eight possessions and three marks.
Will he play Round 2? Up against the Giants, Melbourne will likely look to a marking forward to replace him.
Geelong
No debutants for the Cats in Round 1, but 21-year-old Sam Simpson is a player worth monitoring. Simpson has played six matches for Geelong but last featured in Round 6, 2018. He was named as one of four emergencies for the Cats’ clash with GWS Giants and won the club’s VFL best-and-fairest last year.
Richmond
No new faces for the Tigers either but look out for big-bodied midfielder Riley Collier-Dawkins throughout the year, who could add something different to Richmond’s on-ball mix. Fellow youngster Callum Coleman-Jones, who played one game last year, could replace Toby Nankervis in Round 2 after his underwhelming season opener.
Originally published as Rookie ratings: Which debutants starred for your club in Round 1?
AFL Draft 2024: Full order, latest intel and the top prospects
Clubs are bracing for as many as 27 players to be taken in the first round of the national draft. Get the latest intel on who your club could pick plus full draft order as it stands.
Robbo’s Top 50: The four aces who could all be named No. 1
Footy’s biggest list is back with Mark Robinson naming his top 50 players of season 2024 and four superstars could barely be split for the top gong. Check out Robbo’s Top 50 and have your say.